Whether your aim is to learn some new photography skills this year, start a photography business or become one of the top photographers in your field.. With a plan under your belt, the journey is going to be a much smoother ride!
Great times to make plans!
So we’re all going through some interesting times right now. Having our worlds turned upside-down and inside-out!
Both professional and hobby photographers alike are finding themselves with time on their hands but no cameras in their hands.
Any photographer who points their camera at people on a regular basis is being affected by social distancing, in fact now it is affecting us all, from landscape, wildlife, events to wildlife and food photographers as we are being asked to stay home as much as possible to aid in the fight against C19.
What are we going to do with all this time and how can we make it help our photography? How can we continue to be productive?
If you are already following my Instagram account, you may have already seen some of my daily story videos, Ive been talking about my own social distancing brainstorming process and sharing my thoughts, to not only clarify my own visions for the future but also hopefully inspire other photographers to start thinking about how to use this time productively.
Come over and follow me for all of my updates and hopefully I can inspire you in some way..
https://www.instagram.com/leeknowlesphotographer/
Future proof and business / personal planning!
There is solid proof that planning and setting goals has a direct link to achieving desired results. Regardless whether you are a professional photographer or make pictures for a hobby, the benefits of planning and setting goals is going to lift your game and take you to where you want to go.
If you don’t know where you want to go, you are never going to get there.
I just want to make nice Landscape pictures
The benefits of making a plan for your photography are not limited to businesses or professionals, they are a key ingredient to setting goals and achieving them!
You may just want to learn and grow in one specific area of your photography or improve your wider photography skills.
Making a plan is going to give you focus and keep you on path.
How big should my plan be?
When most people think of planning, they think of a business plan, they think of a large document with pages and pages of writing going into depth of every minute detail. This might be true if you are business applying for a business loan, but not completely necessary most of the time.
A business plan.. or a personal plan can be as simple as a one page document outlining the key elements to where you want to go, where you see yourself and your work and a few steps on how you may get there.
They can even be as simple as a goal card which you can carry around with you at all times in your camera bag or wallet and use for reference at any time to inspire you.
Just a simple act of creating such a plan and writing down in hardcopy is a powerful way to trigger your mind to work towards that goal, at a subconscious level. It aids you to project your self image as a photographer!
What about me?
Personally I use a single page strategic plan for both my business The Headshot Creative and my personal work here at Lee Knowles Photographer which consists of a few bullet point lists, focus areas and statements and figures.
Here are a few things that make up part of my strategic plan:
BHAG
My BHAG, which stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal. This is a goal that should be huge almost unattainable where you would be in your dreams, This is where you go wild! See yourself as the next Platon? Travelling the world shooting the most beautiful destinations for Nat Geo? Or maybe your shooting the next Pirelli calendar.. Go crazy, this is your dream!
USP
My USP, unique selling point. This is what you do that is very different from other people and other services and other photographers, something that you are giving that is a little special
Elevator Pitch
It also contains my elevator pitch, written down Word for Word. What would you say to somebodyif you were in a lift and they asked you what you do as a photographer, if you had 30 to 60 seconds to explain before they got out, how would you get them intrigued enough to ask for your card, or where they might find your work?
Values and Beliefs
Core values and beliefs are another part of my strategic plan, what do I stand for as a creative photographer and as a professional? Our values are so important when working with other people and we have to make sure that they align with how project ourselves and the message we are sending out.
What are your values?
SWOT Analysis
A swot analysis is also a great thing to incorporate into your plan, what are your Strengths and your Weaknesses.. What are the Opportunities and Threats that surround you, your business and Brand. Then you can think about how can you use this knowledge to your advantage.
Why and Purpose
Why is another really important thing to include when planning, If you don’t have a Purpose or reason why are you doing something I believe the work youre doing is going to be a much weaker with less meaning and this WILL affect your brand!
Think about why you are creating the pictures that you are and write it down!
Other things that can be in your plan can include actions, These are things that you need to start doing to get to where you want to be, but also what things do you need to stop doing? Things that may be having a negative affect on your photography?
What new ideas do you have that could be turned into actions in the near future, write these down too.
Financials
Lastly, if you are looking to turn your photography into a stream of income in a business, you’ll need to add some monetary goals, this can be done per year, per quarter, per month, How much do you want to earn with your photography this year?
Your Vision is a powerful tool!
One of the best things about creating a business plan, personal plan or photography plan, whatever you like to call it, is that it gives you something to work for, something to get excited about and also something you can evaluate every so often and take a look back to see how far you have come.
With that in mind as you can imagine a plan is always fluid and should always be revisited as often as you feel and changed!
To keep up to date with my current journey and new work, come follow me over on Instagram @leeknowlesphotographer
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